Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-02-25
PENCIL SKETCHES OF FROM
INENT' MEMBERS OF THE
w. VA. LEGISLATURE.
SKETcH or rHR L1sg OF SENATOR
yAsPeLr OF FAyErrE.
(rrom the Charleston stnr.l

|
We learn from Tulleyrand that "to
make q man prominent, abuse him:
to make him popular, SANDER him"
When Mr.. Van Pelt entered the Zen
ate on the 18th day of january last
he was but little known outside of bis
o@n-Atha Eighth Senatorial District.
But early iii the session it became
knowultfiat there: wis scheme OH
foot, engineered by n hidden hand to
inJuro this worthy and estimable gen
tleman, not because there was any
thing. i'll his conduct deserving of
such dreatment. but simply because
he hnd the manliness to 10 his own
thinking and his own voting OH Ger
tain important measures. The quiet
dignity aud silent contempt with
which lie has treated these low and
vulgar attacks have won for him rs
we'll The respect of-lis brother Sen,
tors, rs the good opiEion of the pub
T lie. Tho effect of tho whole conspir.
acy-for it IS now clear that it was
nothing but IL conspiracy to heap
i'll natured ridicule ind calumny upon
this gentleman Eas been III every way
to- his advantage. 1t very naturally
caused his conduct, both as an indi-
vidual- and Senator, to be closely
scrutinized. 1t will be no surprise to
his friends and constituents TO lenrn
that the result of this scrutiny has
been. IN the judgment of unpreju-
diced minds, altogether favorable to
Mr.. Van Pelt, giving him thus early
in his public life popularity and
prominence which most mon strive
years to. attain. Instead of his "ges-
ticulatlon" being uncouth and indi
cativo of the want of ''brain pow en-"
instead of his speeches being ''irrelt-
vent, , or "incoherent" or "gussy" as
charged by an unfricndly critic, just
tho reverse is known to be. true bv
every Senator aud observing visitor.
His style of speaking is plain and I'M
affected. his gesticulation easy and
natural, though evidently unstudied.
While no orator, in the highest sense
of the term, he is yet good speaker
and in course o: time, with his unus.
hal readiness for acquisition, may be-
come tino parliamentary DICTATOR.
The son OF n mechanic and in early
life n mechanic himself, with none OF
the advantages of college training,
Mr.. FaniP;ssiis Indebted to the COM
mon schools, aided by his own indus
try, for y most excellent English ed
ucntion' Z, n German. father AMI an
English mother, i'll him we find tho
combination, or rather GROSS" 20
much admired by Washington Irving
'-'the 'Teuton with the Anglo
Saxon" :
Born at Tazcwrll, C. H.. Virginia,
Nove,nber 2ud, 1852. he is now about
thirty-fve years Of age. Coming t.
West Virginia, about twelve years
ago, he taught school for several
years. Whilst engaged in teaching,
he found: time to prepare himself for
the legal profession. Admitted to
the bar i'll 1878, lie met with almost
lmmedinte success ns n practitioner.
MOI. mated 10y the Democratic part,
of Fnyette in 1881. for States Attor
!ney, lie was defeated by only fort,
two vQtcs at an election wien the
head ofithe ticket was showed under
by more than two hundred majority.
When elected, to the State Senate in
the Eighth District. his own county
of Fnyette, while scoring majority
against Snyder for Congress of $50.
gave. oplf seveniy-one against him.
Chairman OF The committee on
Mines and Mining, he is also mcm-
Der of several other important Senate
committees, clief of WHICH is the
Committee on the Judiciary .-
ADVANTAGE OF & GRASS CROP